Picture this: you've arrived at your hotel, tired from a long flight and looking forward to getting cosy in the autumnal log cabin you booked online.

But the moment you enter, you realise you've been duped. 

Gone are the original fireplaces, hardwoods and warm ambience you expected – hello plasticky interiors and a far less polished look. 

In days gone by, selecting a hotel for an upcoming trip was as easy as scrolling through pictures to choose the one you like the look of best. 

Nowadays, reports of AI-generated and AI-enhanced hotel photos are spreading, with holidaymakers being warned not all is as it seems in photographs.

A study by marketing agency ABCD Agency found that approximately 19 per cent of hotel images contained at least one signal associated with AI generation or AI editing.

So, what can holidaymakers do to keep themselves safe? 

One of the best things you can do, according to an article in The Straits Times, is to verify the images across platforms, rather than trusting one website alone.

Check the images across booking platforms, as well as on the official website itself. 

You can also look for guest-uploaded photos, for instance on Google Reviews, Tripadvisor or Reddit. 

Video tours can also be found for some hotels if you search on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok – so you can have a look around. 

This is a great way to see what rooms actually look like. 

While checking the pictures, reading real reviews of hotels from recent guests is another top tip.

Reviewers are far more likely to point out flaws than official imagery, especially AI-generated pictures.

Check Google Reviews or Tripadvisor for opinions of recent guests.

If it looks too good to be true it probably is, says Dr Mike Seymour, an expert in AI technology and visual effects from the University of Sydney Business School. 

'Real rooms usually have some variation. They have awkward corners, different lighting conditions, signs of use, and sometimes slightly imperfect details,' he told the

Canberra Times.

Look out for visual flaws such as warped architecture, repeating patterns or strange features. 

If furniture changes between shots, that could be a sign too. 

All in all, it's best to take everything with a pinch of salt – and rely on far more than just pictures. 

A blend of reviews, reputable websites and imagery taken by actual guests can help paint a clearer picture of what a hotel room will actually look like. 

Jens Kramosch, a deepfake expert and founder of ContentGuard.me, who collaborated on the study, explained: 'Hotel photos have always been retouched to some degree. But AI takes this to a completely different level. 

'When images are no longer just polished but fundamentally altered, it risks crossing the line from marketing into deception. Travellers need to look more closely and platforms need to start labeling AI-edited content transparently.'

Robin Wilfert, founder of ABCD Agency, warned: 'When you book a trip, you're buying a promise. The photos that travellers use to choose a hotel are the most important part of that promise. 

'AI must not be allowed to create a gap between what's shown and what's real.'

It's not the only AI travel scam on the rise in recent days.

From fake hotel sites to forged claims of damage, there are numerous ways in which artificial intelligence can be used to deceive people. 

And as the technology continues to grow and advance, more nefarious tricks are emerging.

The latest development involves fraudsters using artificial intelligence to figure out where tourists went on holiday from images shared on social media, and then using this information to create more realistic scams.